The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Baptisia plant, botanically known as Baptisia ‘Pink Lemonade’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Pink Lemonade’. The new cultivar represents a new false indigo, a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for landscape and cut flower use.
The new invention arose from an ongoing breeding program of the inventor at a nursery in Waseca, Minn. with continued evaluation at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with the specific intention of improving garden worthiness of perennial false indigo plants with a wider variety of flower colors and improved garden habit.
Baptisia ‘Pink Lemonade’ was a single seedling selection from many seedling among an open pollination between Baptisia ‘Red Riding Hood’ (not patented) as the female and an unknown male or pollen parent presumed to be Baptisia alba or a hybrid containing Baptisia alba from an isolation block.
Seeds were collected from the individual selected female plant on Oct. 29, 2009 at the isolation breeding block in Waseca, Minn., USA by the inventor. The seeds were sown at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zealand, Mich., USA with initial and final evaluations being completed at the same nursery in Michigan. Ultimately, prior to naming the new plant was given the breeder code H9-51-06.
No plants of Baptisia ‘Pink Lemonade’ have been sold, under this or any name, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of this application with the exception of that which may have been disclosed or sold within one year of the filing of this application and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.
‘Pink Lemonade’ was initially asexually propagated by stem cuttings at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in 2013. The resultant plants have demonstrated that the new plant has remained stable and true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The nearest comparison plant known to the inventor is ‘Solar Flare’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,408. Compared to ‘Solar Flare’ the new plant is taller and more vase-shaped in habit, and the flowers of the new plant are lighter yellow in bud becoming clear raspberry purple as opening while ‘Solar Flare’ produces buds of a deeper yellow that become more orange-purple or brown. In comparison to ‘Pink Truffles’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,588, the flower color of the new plant begins light yellow and develops clear raspberry-purple, whereas the flower buds of ‘Pink Truffles’ start darker pinkish-violet and open to a lighter pinkish lavender. Compared with the female parent, the new plant has two-tone colored flowers. Other similar cultivars include ‘Cherries Jubilee’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,907 and ‘Lemon Meringue’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,280. Compared with ‘Cherries Jubilee’ the new plant has lighter yellow buds and less brownish-red flowers. Compared with ‘Lemon Meringue’ the new plant has lighter yellow buds and develops flowers with clear raspberry-purple flowers. The new plant is also taller than both ‘Lemon Meringue’ and ‘Cherries Jubilee’.
The new plant differs from all Baptisia known to the inventor in the following combined traits:                1. Young flower buds of light yellow developing blushing of raspberry-purple.        2. Flowers open to a clear raspberry-purple.        3. Tall, vase-shaped, multi-stemmed, winter-hardy habit.        4. Glaucous, medium-green, tri-foliate foliage.        